Many of the railings outside old Victorian homes are made of weak wrought iron. Even if you’ve got one of the best bike locks, the thief can easily get to your bike by cutting the iron. Special thank you to London Cyclist reader Daniel for allowing ...
Safe cycling in London
New cycle safety jacket draws clever inspiration from horse riders
Recently, I was pleasantly surprised when a lorry gave me the maximum amount of clearance on the road. The driver opted to safely overtake almost entirely in the opposite lane of traffic. It was nice to be spared that horrible loud noise and ...
What happens if you have a collision with a pedestrian
Have you ever had a collision with a pedestrian? I’ve heard of friends damaging their bike after they perform of an emergency stop. However, that’s nothing compared to a story London Cyclist reader Tiva sent me. It all took place on Aldwych road. ...
What would you do if you saw a cyclist getting doored?
On a recent ride along the Camden High Street London Cyclist reader Kylie witnessed a cyclist being doored. Unbelievably, instead of apologising and checking the cyclist was okay the driver aggressively told him off for getting in the way. Kylie ...
Out of these four bikes, this one would be stolen first
Last week we posed the question: Which of these four bikes will get stolen first? The post proved very popular and was visited by 2,819 cyclists of which 46 left their answer. Here’s a tally of the responses: Bike D: 31 Bike B: 8 Bike A: 7 Bike C: 0 ...
Which of these four bikes will get stolen first?
Bike A – Spotted Outside Tate Modern Bike B – Spotted Outside Marylebone Station Bike C – Spotted in Kilburn Bike D – Spotted in Kilburn Rank in order which of these bikes you think will be stolen first and why! See ...
Safe cycling TV advertising – Good or bad idea?
We all remember the advert. A child is being filmed by his friend on a camera phone playing around. As he crosses the street he doesn’t look left and a car runs him over. The advert still sends shivers up my spine. Some will claim the advert is a ...
Want to cycle safely? Stop focusing on high vis!
You want to wear high visibility clothing? That’s fine, by all means, it’s a good idea and I hope you continue doing so. My argument here isn’t against high vis clothing. My argument is: Don’t just rely on high vis clothing. There is something that ...
Cyclist killed in London was experienced courier
It has emerged over the past 24 hours that the first cyclist to be killed in London this year was an experienced courier. This is a poignant reminder that even if you follow safety advice and have experience there are still many dangers out there. It ...
The Times adds its voice to the call for safer roads for cyclists
Three months ago Times Reporter Mary Bowers was hit by a lorry as she made her way to her office. She remains in critical condition in hospital. Today, her colleagues have launched a campaign to call for safer measures to be put in place to protect ...
Is it safe to cycle in London?
Hey - my name is Anna, writing to you from Denmark, I have a rookie question you might be able to answer. I don't know anything about the bike culture in London or the facilities on the roads and would like to ride in zone one. Do you ...
A chance to remember the cyclists killed in London this year
This table lists the cyclists killed in London in 2011: Gary Mason (48, male) Sandy Lane South Daniel Cox (28, male) Dalston Junction Tom Barrett (44, male) A40 David Poblet (20, male) Tanner Street Paula Jurek (20, female) Camden ...
What to do when you encounter behaviour like this on the road
A few seconds into the above video we hear: “Get in the f***** cycle lane you t***” Charming. The video by Cycle Gaz paints a fairly bleak image of cycling in London. Fortunately, this isn’t representative of all cycle journeys in London. But how ...
Ever been doored? It is actually illegal
I was once witness to a car dooring. My friend was pedalling past stationary traffic less than a metre ahead of me, when suddenly a passenger opened their door, knocking my friend off his bike. Miraculously he didn’t have a single scratch. His back ...
Saturday ride visiting ten most dangerous junctions comes in the wake of Boris Johnson’s negative comments towards cyclists
"It grieves me to sometimes, to see the way that [Transport for London] is blamed.” was Boris Johnson’s response when pushed by Jenny Jones about cyclist safety. In his response, the Mayor then continues by denouncing suggestions for safer ...
Bicycle storage conundrums
“Excuse me, you can’t leave your bike there” a woman climbing into her Toyota Prius stated. A strange request I thought to myself, as bike racks tend to be a public space and there was three of them standing empty. “Oh sorry, I’ll only be 3 ...
Have you got your bike tagged?
There’s an on-going drive by the police to get London’s bikes tagged. Doing so helps them recover the owner when one is stolen. There’s also excellent initiatives such as Bike Revolution where you can buy tags yourself and add your bike to the ...
Cycling Masks and the Shocking Results
A few months ago London Cyclist reader, Claire, approached me for advice on wearing masks whilst cycling to block fumes. Fortunately, at the same time, Francis from http://totobobo.com/ got in touch with me, asking if I wanted to review their cycling ...
Three simple rules to follow if you want to stay safe on your bike
Here are three simple rules that should be etched into your mind to help you stay safe whilst out cycling in London. 1# Thou shall never undertake a moving vehicle There’s a reason they put this on all Boris Bikes! When you pass a vehicle on the ...
How to get your bike stolen
It’s fairly easy to get your bike stolen and in this article I’ll talk you through some of the best ways of doing so. I know not everyone wants to have their bike stolen, in the same way, so please feel free to choose one of the methods below that ...